[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 105 (Tuesday, July 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1764]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010

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                               SPEECH OF

                         HON. DARRELL E. ISSA-

                             of california-

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 10, 2009

  Mr. ISSA. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3082, the 
``Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 
2010.'' This bill will fund our nation's military construction projects 
and veterans' benefits for Fiscal Year 2010.
  While I supported this bill, and what it provides for our military 
and veterans, it is unfortunate the Democratic leadership in Congress 
refused to allow debate on many amendments including an amendment 
proposed by Rep. Connie Mack that would have reduced the labor costs of 
each construction project funded by this legislation.
  Currently, federal construction projects which cost more than $2,000 
must follow Davis-Bacon wage requirements. The Davis-Bacon Act requires 
employers to pay workers at least the ``locally prevailing wage,'' as 
determined by the Department of Labor. Of the reports investigated by 
the Office of Inspector General, 100% of the wage surveys, used to set 
the ``prevailing wage,'' contained one or more errors.
  According to the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University, Davis-
Bacon wage requirements over-estimate wages, inflating construction 
costs by almost 10%. This amounts to $8.6 billion taxpayer waste per 
year. For our military and veterans, this is billions that could have 
been used to update the Vietnam-era quanzi-huts still in use at Camp 
Pendleton Marine Corps Base or to fix the Post 9/11 GI bill error that 
will unfairly reduce California veterans' education benefits.
  In this time of fiscal uncertainty, Congress must set priorities and 
spend wisely. Shutting out debate on an archaic measure that 
unnecessarily increases cost moves our nation in the wrong direction.

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